The Fairy Isles
Far off the eastern shores of the continent, across the Singing Seas, there is the most mysterious and most little-understood region to any Ilunian mortal: The Fairy Isles. Populated by the Sìthichean, known variously as Fairies, the Little Folk, the Small Folk and other names, few venture there and ever return. Stories abound of the power of its inhabitants, and it is said that in the many ancient mounds and barrows of the past, those brave of heart can request a wish from the Fair Folk in return for gold, jewels or seer-stones. Of late, only one wish - Sir Galaen of Westhaven's Lann-Sholais - is known to have been granted, yet with the increasing chaos on the continent and the temptation of glory, doubtless there will be many granted and many failed in years to come. History Of their own history nothing is known at all. However what is known, is that Fairies as a race are old, extremely old. Since recorded history on Ilunia begun and even before, fairies have appeared in stories as crooked deal makers and bearers of ill intentions. While fairy history is unknown, they do have rich historical ties to the other races of Ilunia, from turning the tides in forgotten wars to causing plagues and destruction from wishes gone wrong. Possibly the most well-known Fairy to the Ilunian races would be Saeve, also known as Saeve the Seductress, or in some stories Saeve the Destroyer. Saeve is one of the few fairies to not only interact with Ilunian races but to also have spent much time living amongst them. Despite her age she looks no older than 25 years old. From fokelore and stories her beauty knows no bounds, often being described as pure and heavenly. It is no surprise why she earned the name Saeve the Seductress, as countless men over the years have fallen to her allure. It is uncertain how many Ilunian husbands Saeve has had throughout the ages, or her reasons for this. Some say she is unlike other fairies, others say her husbands had something she wanted. Despite being well known Saeve has faded from the recent history of Ilunia with it being many many years sinse she last lived within Ilunia for reasons only known to herself. Due to the repuation of fairies being malicious in their dealings with Ilunian races it has been a number of years sinse the last wish was granted. That is until very recently with the granting of Sir Galaen of Westhaven's wish of Lann-Sholais. With Ilunia on the verge of total war the future for the Fairy Folk looks to be a very profitable period for those few who deal with the Ilunian races. Culture and Society Little if anything is known about fairy culture to the inhabitants of Ilunia. In fact you’d find it hard to find a single soul throughout the long Ilunian history who could tell you anything about them. Do they have a fairy king? Is there a fairy government? The fact is that scholars who have studied the Fairies over the ages can’t even agree on if they are originally from the Fairy Isles. If the Ilunians have learned anything, from seeking the mighty powers of the Fairies, their culture and their society is seemingly driven by mischief. All races from the Dwarfs of the Northern most tip to the Elves of the furthest South of Ilunia share similar stories of a fairy wish gone wrong. As such the fairy’s reputation is pretty poor within Ilunia as they are deemed un-trust worthy. "Fairies do not do favors, they make deals. They want something from you, even if they do not know it yet." - Captain Lysander Much like their culture, the people of Ilunia have little to no idea about Fairy society. However from the select few fairies who deal with the people of Ilunia there is one thing that seems to be sure. Each fairy acts as an individual, governing to no laws, making deals that only benefit them. As such those of Ilunia who have studied Fairy Folk have determined that Fairy society simply does not exist in the conventional understanding of the rest of the Ilunian races. Although too little is known of the Fairy Folk to say this for definite. However from past Ilunian encounters with Fairies there seems to be no clear social status, roles or social networks. Seerstones "To me and you, this 'a worthless lightly glowin' stone, but to those fairy folk! They just go mad for 'em" - local farmer after finding a burried Seerstone. While not a singl e Ilunian has figured out how to get a Seerstone to work, or even what exactly they are, it is clear that the Fairies want them. Some of Ilunia's greatest magical users have devoted their lives to understanding Seerstones over the years but all have failed to make use of them. Many have suspected that the Fairy's powerful magic stems from unlocking the secrets of the Seerstones, while others simply think Fairies just like shiny things. Which as a theory isn't too far fetched, as a Fairy will more than happily take a big bag of shiny gems or gold in exchange for a wish. While Seerstones tend to be rare they can be found throughout Ilunia in a wide range of areas. From being burried underground to resting on the bottom of lakes and rivers. Category:Geography Category:Nations Category:Race